Tips For Buying A Used Car That You Don't Want To Miss

These tips for buying a used car are important if you are in the market for a nice new used vehicle. In order to be sure that you get the best deal and be assured you have the smoothest transaction, you don't want to miss these 5 tips.

Buying a used car is a daunting task to say the least.

Most of the time buying a used car is tiring and frustrating because people are not aware of what they are getting into. They haven't done the proper preparation before buying their vehicle.

So, let's get started...

The first tip is to check your credit report. Pull your report from the 3 credit bureau agencies, Transunion, Equifax and Experian. Look each one over with a fine-toothed comb for errors that don't belong on your report.

If you see mistakes, dispute them through the agency that lists them. Check for accounts that you are not using and call the debtor and close the accounts. These open accounts appear as available credit you have at your fingertips and a potential lender may take this into consideration negatively.

Correcting these errors can help raise your credit score.

You should always know your credit score. The lending institution is going to pull your FICO score to determine if they should loan you money for a used car.

As you wait for your credit score to be repaired, do some research on the make and model of used car that will best suit you, your family and your family's needs. Go online to Consumer Reports to see how they rank specific makes and models that you are considering.

Consumer reports run all types of safety tests to inform consumers what make and models offer the best safety features. In addition, you can find reliability reports to help you determine which vehicle will be the most dependable to own.

Once you have determined a reliable and safe make and model that suits you, now do some homework on the price of this particular vehicle. Use the blue book resources on line such as Kelley Blue Book, Black Book and the NADA Guide to come up with an average price for your car, truck or SUV.

After determining the average of these three resources, further check local classified listings and local dealerships to further compare pricing for that same vehicle. These ads will confirm what is happening currently when it comes to fair market value.

Now, find a reputable dealership that sells used cars. Notice how you are welcomed and how you feel with the salesperson and being at that specific dealer.

Trust your intuition or your "gut" feeling at this point.

Remember, salespeople are trained on how to close you on buying a car today. Their agenda and their goal is to make a car sale today! They are trained weekly on how to get you to say yes. Car salesmen have memorized every answer to your objections for not buying today.

If for any reason you feel uncomfortable or pressured, it is a good idea to move on to the next used car lot. There are dealerships that care about what you are interested in rather than just making a sale today.

If you feel welcome and comfortable that this salesman is interested in what you want, have him show you some cars that fit your needs.

Once you find that perfect car, there is the paperwork. Most reputable dealerships will take the time to walk you through the paperwork so that you fully understand what you are signing. If you have questions, feel free to ask them.

Always remember... be careful of the small print as well as read and understand everything before signing on the dotted line.

If you follow these tips to buying a used car, you will have a much more pleasant experience. In addition, you will feel more confident that you got the best deal possible.

Do you want to learn more about the Art and Zen on how to save money on your next vehicle and get the best terms?

If so, I suggest you check this out: This Boise Used Car Dealer Caught The Competition Napping.

Or maybe you don't believe there is a better way to purchasing a car and you truly believe that all used car dealers are the same!

If so, then check this out: The Big Question?

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Tips For Test Driving A Used Car

One of the advantages of a second hand car is its lower price compared to brand new cars. However, buying a used car requires thorough inspection and testing to make sure you are purchasing one that will not give you problems and high maintenance costs, but will instead serve you for several years to come. In this article, we provide tips on how to test drive a used car before you commit to purchasing it.

1. Do your research about the particular make and model you are interested in before heading out to test drive the used car. Is the particular make and model known for its speed? Or perhaps it is popular for its powerful engine. Doing your research first will help give you reasonable expectations about the car's performance.

2. Don't rush. You don't need to have the drive quickly over with. Give yourself plenty of time to focus on the car. This may also be a good time to ask the salesperson questions about the car when something does not feel right during the drive. Does the driver's seat feel sunken? Or perhaps the ride becomes bumpy and noisy when you hit the rough road. Let the salesperson know your concerns to have them addressed before you purchase the car. Be thorough with the test drive to make sure you the used car you are buying is still in excellent condition.

3. If you have a trusted third-party mechanic, ask them to go on the drive with you. When something in the car feels out of the ordinary, a mechanic can easily point out what it means and can give you good advice if the car you are testing is well conditioned and maintained.

4. Test drive the car in different roads to see how it performs in varied conditions. If buying at a dealership, ask the representative if you can drive off the usual route. Drive the car on the highway. Does the car accelerate well? Can you pass other cars at speed? Next, drive the car on a bumpy road. Does the car feel bumpy and noisy or does it drive smoothly?

Also try to drive the car along tight corners. Is the car able to make a turn adequately? How are the brakes performing? Finally, test drive the used car on an uphill road to see how it performs on an uphill drive. Does it drive smoothly uphill or is the car having a difficult time just getting up an inclined road?

5. Test drive 2 to 3 cars to help you make accurate comparisons between them. This will also help you determine which car feels right for you. Try not to drive too many cars though as this can confuse you about which one to purchase!

6. Don't overlook the small details in the car including the seat belts, mirrors, pedals, heat, air conditioning and lights. More often than not, buyers will be concerned about how the car runs that they forget to test these items. Make sure these are all working well. Take a look at the back seat and trunk as well to make sure it has the space you require.

7. Check the controls on the dashboard. Make sure they are functioning well and are easy to set and adjust.

Some final tips
After a few days of your initial test drive, try to ask the seller or the dealership if you can drive the car a second time. This will give you the opportunity to see something you might have missed out on during the first test drive.

This article was written by Tom Jerrat for Jupiter Motors. Jupiter Motors is one of Australia's leading regional car dealerships located in Wagga Wagga, NSW. We provide a comprehensive selection of new Subaru, new Mazda, and high quality Wagga used cars. For more information, visit jupitermotors.com.au

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Grow Your Service and Parts Business in 2012

What was the biggest problem in 2010? Not enough people to take care of the Customers! This is the single biggest problem I see today in Dealerships. In 2010, I've visited Dealerships from Kentucky to Virginia to Texas to Minnesota to Georgia to Wisconsin to Florida. All but one have the same problem in common - not enough people to "cuddle" the Customers. Since 2008, almost every business cut its staff. It made sense. The future was uncertain; businesses needed to remain profitable and the logical place to start was the single largest expense every non-manufacturing business has - Personnel Expense. Several positives came from this. Dealerships were able to get rid of outrageous guarantees, "dead weight" and they were forced to improve and streamline processes. But if Dealers want to thrive in the coming years now that the economy is well-past "rock bottom" (March, 2009), they have to be prepared to grow their Service & Parts business by being able to handle the business professionally and properly.

The problem seems to be that Dealers are now "addicted" to very high Net Profits and Net Profit to Gross Profit ratios. What I am talking about is adding straight commissioned Service Advisors and Technicians to the Staff, not overhead "fat". This will increase both Gross Profits and Net Profits. New Vehicle Sales will not "rebound" to previous levels for years; it's called "the New Normal". The "gold" is in Used, Service and Parts. Prepare for "the New-Normal" that we have been in and will be in for the next few years by staffing your Departments with the right number of Employees to take care of your current and prospective Customers. In the Service Department, to have enough time to take care of the Customers, your Service Advisors should NOT be handling more than 15 Customers a day on average (12 if you are a high-line Dealer). And if your Service Advisors have taken on the cashiering duties or warranty coding, the number of Customers they should handle should be less. Here's a simple exercise; for the month take the number of Customer Pay and Warranty Repair Orders and add them together. Add in the Internal Repair Orders IF your Service Advisors also write those. Then divide the R.O. totals by the number of Service Advisors. If you answer exceeds 325, you need more Advisors.

If you're thinking, "Our Advisors are currently able to handle our Customers, we don't need to add anyone else." think about this: As of 2009, the average Customer pay vehicle in most Service Departments had well over 70,000 miles on it; do you think it only needs an oil change? Couple that with the fact that your Service Advisors are seeing Customers maybe twice a year due to expanded maintenance requirements and improved product quality. That doesn't give them/you many chances to build a relationship or take good care of the Customer's vehicle. To do both, your Advisors need TIME! Your Service Advisors may be forced into "short-cutting" crucial steps when they handle too many Customers. Advisors will do what it takes to keep up with the day's work, but are they doing what it takes to increase your business and theirs when they don't have the time? Advisors write up the Customer, get the spending approval for the Customer's request and close out the ticket. Hopefully they personally deliver the vehicle back to the Customer through the Active Delivery process to RETAIN that Customer. But to grow your Service Business and to increase your Sales per Repair Order, they need to do more.

Below are 10 processes that could be falling by the wayside on a daily basis if you are shorthanded:
1. Taking a GOOD reservation prewriteup, including requesting mileage.

2. Reviewing the Customer's vehicle's history, looking for needed or previously missed maintenance and postponed repairs for presentation to the Customer.

3. Doing a GOOD Walk-Around with the Customer when the Customer arrives.

4. Presenting the appropriate Maintenance Menu after the Walk-Around.

5. Properly introducing the permission based Multipoint Inspection.

6. The Technicians doing a quality Multipoint Inspection, with digital photos.

7. The Advisors then contacting the Customer and asking for the sale on items found during the Technicians' Multipoint Inspection (if you think this is already happening, ask the Techs, not the Advisors).

8. Providing BEST, Better, good options to close more Sales.

9. Soliciting a good follow-up date on the unsold work, and recording same in an electronic reminder system such as Outlook, Google Calendar, etc.

10. Doing face-to face Active Deliveries where the Advisors set the next Service Appointment and request any other vehicles at home you could maintain for the Customer.

When any one of those processes is skipped, you are wasting your "Service Ups." When you have enough trained staff to follow the processes that are designed to take care of your Customers, everyone wins. My Service Drive Process works best when all of the steps are followed, and to do that, you need enough people. Your Customers are depending on your Dealership to take care of their vehicles. To do that your Advisors must look at the vehicle's mileage and vehicle's history; then recommend what it takes for a Customer's vehicle to be safe and worry free. By inviting the Customer to your Dealership, you have taken on the responsibility of taking care of the Customer's vehicle. That means selling recommended repairs and needed maintenance, not just accepting what the Customer came in for.

Not only do you need enough Service Advisors, you need enough Technicians with time to do the work the vehicles need. Your Technicians become more efficient when they are not bounced from one vehicle to another. Few things are more frustrating to a Technician than starting a job, then being told, "Wait a minute, could you to take a quick look at this vehicle," or "Could you knock out this waiter oil change before you finish that?" Running around in chaos to take care of Customers' vehicles willy-nilly because we have too few Technicians is inefficient and wastes your Tech's time. Your Technicians will NOT do a quality Multipoint Inspection until they know the Advisors are going to sell the work and they know they will get a chance to do the work on a vehicle that is already in their stall. Otherwise, it's all checkmarks or a rubber-stamped approach. If you say, you can't find any good people; try Craiglist.com, "the national electronic bulletin board." Every Dealership I have been in has had amazing results when they post an ad on Craigslist. Just last week, in Macclenny, Florida (where you ask? - right), the Service Department needed to add more Technicians. Within 24 hours of posting the ad, the Service Manager was interviewing and hired a GM Master Tech, with another GM and Ford Master Tech coming in the next day. There is no good excuse for not having the right amount of staff. The only way your Staff can handle your Customers properly is to have enough folks to "cuddle" your Customers. This then optimizes your Customer's visit, your facility, and dollars spent on training and advertising. Take care of your Customers and they'll take care of you by coming back and spending money vs. defecting to the 100s of options they all have that are closer to home or closer to work. For more ideas like this or information on Management Training & Development for Dealership Operations please contact Lloyd Schiller at lloydschiller.426@gmail.com.

Lloyd Schiller
Consultant
LloydSchiller.com
http://lloydschiller.com/
561.212.6966

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